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Elements of the kung fu movie - the villain
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Artwork by Marc T. Hicks
Let’s get right down to it. No matter what genre, the villain is probably the most memorable character. From Heath Ledger’s Joker, to Betty from “Kung Pow”… we all know it’s the villain that we secretly root for. Admit it, when you realized Agent Smith was back in the second “Matrix,” you breathed a sigh of relief.
When it comes to kung fu movies, the top would have to be Han from “Enter The Dragon.” He had that smooth demeanor. Not to mention owned his own island. And when he had his men attack Bruce Lee and John Saxon at the end, he called them all by name; now that’s an employer who cares. There had to be at least 200 men. But what really sets him above the rest, not only could he fight – he was a former monk turned evil; but he could change his fake hand.
But when it comes to names, Sho’ Nuff The Shogun Of Harlem is tops on the bill. The brother walked around Harlem with a bad gherri curl, with ponytail. He had shoulder pads and wore Chuck Taylor Converses to every butt kicking. You have to be evil to whoop butt wearing canvas gym shoes. Not to mention he had that evil red glow. He’s also the only kung fu villain to have his own cheering section and catch phrase… “Sho’ Nuff.”
The perfect villain for a great kung fu movie must have tons of attitude. Killer wardrobe. A blatant disregard for life and property. Be surrounded by a group of flunkies. It also helps if he was the star pupil of the great master and then decided down the road to go bad. The villain gets a gold star if he kills his master too. That’s just plain evil.
You don’t want some guy who allows people to make mistakes and live. No you must eliminate that slacker who allowed the hero to escape. A true kung fu villain threatens a helpless woman and laughs maniacally with his hands firmly on his hips. A great villain toys with the hero, even leaving him on the brink of death at some point – but not following thru. No the killing blow is saved for that fool who couldn’t beat a boy scout with his bare hands.
So when you go to make the next great kung fu flick… don’t skimp on the villain. He’s what will make it or break it. Give him plenty of attitude and a great line. Put a scar on his cheek like Brackus from “Best of the Best 2.” Make him a high tech ninja with a laser on their wrist just like Black Star Ninja in “American Ninja.” But whatever you do, make the villain the true star of the movie.
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